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Sunday school; in fact it was soon understood that he
was a superior Bible teacher.
"He was the beloved superintendent of the Sunday-
school for more than twenty years, and his name is
held in affectionate memory by hundreds who knew
and loved him in that office. He was always among
the first in every good work. For many years he was
at the same time deacon, chorister, superintendent of
the Sunday school, Bible class leader, chairman of
the board of trustees, the pastor's first counsellor and
dearest friend, a practical and successful business
man and patriotic citizen. In 1885 he instituted the
annual festival of the Sunday school, and for per-
haps thirty years these were held. He went home
May 23d, 1871, mourned by the citizens of Indianapo-
lis, as well as by the First church and Sunday school."
There were many able men in the ministry
in the Indianapolis Association; some of these
deserve special mention. It is reasonable to
expect that some of our prominent leaders should
gather at the capital of the State. Among
these the first to be mentioned is Elder Ezra
Fisher who was born in Massachusetts in 1800, was
graduated from Amherst college and from Newton
theological seminary; and then longed for some open-
ing in the "great valley" by which was meant the
Mississippi Valley. In 1832, having done much to
awaken the missionary spirit in his own church he
mentions that the mission- offering has been increased
by $35 and two strings of gold beads, he was invited
to visit Indianapolis. He came as a missionary of the
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American Baptist Home Mission Society; in his re-
port for the quarter ending June 22d, 1833, he says:
"When I learned the great variety of religious sen-
timents embraced by members of this church, I had
but little hope of uniting all the members on the doc-
trines of the gospel as embraced by the Regular Bap-
tists. Also as I saw the determined efforts of a brother
. . . . to draw all our members to A. Campbell's
faith, my hopes of success were diminished. In May,
Henry Bradley commenced labor with Brother Saun-
ders for industriously propagating Arian and Camp-
bellite doctrines; it came before the church in June,
but we were unsuccessful in our efforts to dislodge
him from membership."
As a resort they adopted Articles of Faith so radi-
cal that the said Brother Saunders could not remain
in the church. In speaking of his confidence in the
fidelity of the members of the church he says: "We
feel confident that no ordinary obstacles will induce
us to abandon the work"; and still later: "The church
of this place will probably soon be freed from con-
flicting opinions and troublesome members."
In his report for the quarter ending December,
1834, he gives some account of his work; "preached
24 sermons, attended General Association, also Dan-
ville Association, helped organize a Sunday school
and attended the General Meeting of Western Bap-
tists at Cincinnati, Ohio." It seems that up to this
time he had not given his full time to the Indianapo-
lis church, for in his report is this entry: "In March
the church asks me to preach all the time." He was
